Conveyer



Feb0 2 1926 CONVEYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 7. 1922 Feb. 2 1926.

- 1,571,536 AF. N. WILSON I CONVEYER Filed July 7. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,M939 @5w-f @yf/@15.

FRANK 1"?. "WILSQN, OF WEBSTER GRQVES, MISSOURI.

CONVEYER.

Application filed. July 7,

,To all effeom t may concern f bBe it known that l, FRANK itl. lViLsoN,a citizen of the United States, residing at Webster tflrores, in thecounty of St. Louis and State of liiissouri, have invented cert new anduseful improvements in Conveyers, ofaivliich the folle is aspecification.

l/ly 'present invention relates to conveyors and more particularly to aconveyer chain and blades carried thereby and is a distinct andpractical improvement to overcome certain objections to and defects inthe universal type of chain and blades in order to adapt the same to thework of conveying lump coal up an incline, as set forth in my copendingapplication, Serial No. 530,183 tiled January 18, 1922, noiv ldatent1,467,700, September 11, 1923.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a conveyer bladewhich is yieldable at its base to permit cxpai'ision of 'the blade whileriding over an are due to the connection of the blade to chain links,which 'are separated by a plurality of intermediate links, and permitcontraction of the base to normal position While travelling along astraight path.

Vilith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe novel features of construction more fully described and linallypointed out in the appended claims. Referring to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of thislspeciflcation wherein like referencecharacters denote similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1v is a plan view of a conveyer chain andblades embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the chain sprocket.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a combined link and blade support.

F ig. 4 is an end elevation thereof.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a sprocket and threeof the links of the chain in operative relation therewith.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modiiied forni of convcyer chain bladeembodying my inven tion.

Fig. T is a side elevation thereof, showing the inner chain guide andbed plate.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 designates the bedplate of a conveyer device provided with the inner and outer guidemembers 2 and 3 which are spanned with a cover plate 4. Each of theinner and puter guide members is provided 1922. serial No. 573,429.

with a vertically disposed link receiving groove 5 communicating with acentral hori'- mentally disposed link receiving groove 6, as shown moreclearly by Fig. 7. n

The reference character 8 indicates a spe cial chain sprocket rotatably7mounted on a stub shaft 9 Which is suitably fixed to the bed plate 1.The sprocket 8 is provided with la deep peripheral groove 10 forreceiving the horizontally disposed links of a chain while thevertically disposed links of the chain are seated in the recesses orpockets 11 Which are spaced apart by means of its opposed shoulders 12,as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

The endless conveyer chain which is adapted to ride over a pair ofspaced sprockets 8, is a link chain and consists of ordinary elongatedlinks 13 and the suitable spaced blade supporting links 14. The bladesupporting links or combined links and blade supports 14 are preferablysolid and are provided With the end openings l5 for the reception of theordinary chain links 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Each bladesupporting link is provided With a lateral extension or ear 16 which isprovided With a longitudinally directed slotted opening 17, as shown inFigs. 1 and 3.

The conveyor blades 18, which are supported bv means of the links 14,each consists of the arms 19 and 20 spaced apart at their outer ends bya block 26 and fastened together by any suitable means such as a rivet26, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. Each of the arms 19 and 20 has an innerfolded portion 23 arranged to form an opening for the pin 24 and lixedto the blade arms by suitable securing means, such as bolts 25. At thebase of each blade arm is a slotted opening' 22 into which extends theear 16 of the blade supporting link 14. The pin of each blade arm passesthrough slots 17 in the ear 16 to connect the blade to the chain and tobe thereby supported. The blades 18 shown in Fig. 1 are formed of asingle piece of material to provide the armi@ 19 and Q0, instead of twopieces, as shown in Fig. 6.

The blades comprising the arms 19 and 20 being made from resilientmaterial, such as spring steel plate, for example, it is evident thatthe. free ends of the arms at the base of the blade are free to expandor spread apart to prevent buckling of the chain, pecially in. moving orriding over a short arc, as v-.hen riding over the sprocket 8. Thisarrangement provides a `flexible or yieldable conveyer blade capable ofbeing connected to a pair of chain links Which are separated a suitabledistance from each other by means or' one oi' more intermediate ordinarychain links 13, thus eliminatingthe necessity of attaching the blade toa single chain link, which is not as preferable a con iiection as thatherein disclosed.

It is evident from the foregoing description that by having the uprightchain links ride in the vertical grooves of the guide members 2 and 3there is no possible chance for the. chain to buckle or establishlateral displacement from any load strain on the conveyer blades, as theupright links can not be displaced in their grooves. The h orizontalgroove in the guide members receives he horizontally disposed link onlyand this groove prevents the links trom vertical displacement only asthere is no load strain, or at least very little load strain, on theselinks.

It is essential to remember that the arms 19 and 2O are capable ofexpanding or spreading apart When necessary, especially when the armspass over the sprocket, when the distance between the blade supports isincreased as compared with the distance when the blades are travellingin a rectilinear direction. It is apparent that .the blades are capableof Hering and expanding at the base to relieve extraordinary stressesoccasioned by loads locally excessive at any particular time. Thisdesirable result is achieved not only by the pin and slot connection ot'the blades with the links but also by the inherent resiliency of themetal trom which the blades are constructed.

It ivill be observed from Fig. 1 of the drawings that when the slottedopenings 17 are employed in links 14 the tension on arms 19 and 2O hasthe tendency to draw the pins 24 and hold them toward eachv other in theopenings and it Willbe apparent that should there be any cause for thespreading apa-rt of the arms occasioned by load strain, slack in chain,or any other cause, the pins 24 can move in the openings 17.

While I have shown the openings 16 of the links 14 as slotted, it isapparent that the openings may be of t-he same size as the pins 24.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it will be apparent that certain changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement. of parts Without departing from theinvention andy I'k do not desire to be limited to the exact structureshown except within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A conveyer chain consisting of a pair of chain links each having alaterally extending lug 'having a slotted opening, a plurality of chainlinks intermediate said firstmentioned links and connecting themtogether, spreadable V-sliaped members, and means to connect saidmembers to the slotted lugs of said iirst mentioned links to permitspreading of said members at the base thereof.

2. in endless conveyer having a chain consisting of a series of linksprovided With laterally extending lugs, Which lugs are each providedWith a slotted opening, a plurality of links connecting said lirstmentioned links, and a plurality of blades connected to the lugs ot saidlirst mentioned links by means oi pins passing through the slottedopenings.

3. In an endless conveyer, a chain consisting of a series of linkshaving laterally extending lugs, each of Which lugs is pi'ovided with aslotted opening, said lugs each having a slotted opening therein, aplurality or connecting links, a plurality of blades, each blade beingprovided with diverging arms, and means to connect the free ends of saidarms to said lugs to permit movement in the openings in the lugs.

4. ln an endless conveyei, a chain having links with slots therein andlinks connecting said rst mentioned links, and a plurality of blades,each bladehaving tWo arms connected together at their outer ends andhaving their inner ends connected to two lin rs having slots by pinsmovably receivable in said slots.

5. A conveyer blade for attachment to an endless conveyer chaincomprising a pair of blade arms converging toward their outer ends andhaving their inner ends flexibly spaced apart to form a substantially V-shaped conveyor blade, the inner ends of each blade arm being providedWith a central longitudinally disposed cut-away portion to providespaced bifurcated inner ends for the blade arms, said bifurcated endsbeing folded back to engage the inner faces of the blade arms in such a.manner as to provide a. pair of opposed vertically disposed beaiingst'o-r the bifurcated ends of the blade arms between which bearings achain lug is adapted to be pivotally connected to the blade arms, andmeans for tixing the foldedbiturcated ends of the blade arms to theblade arms.

in testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thespecification.

FRANK N1 WILSON.

